Local Economic, Social and Cultural Development

Vivendi contributes actively to the development of territories in which it operates, not only in terms of direct and indirect employment, but also in terms of cultural reach and sharing of know-how.. The group has chosen to concretely assess its impact on these territories, whether it involves promoting artistic talent, professionalizing the local cultural sector or supporting NGOs, in a constant exchange with stakeholders.

Useful Links

Some examples of initiatives and best practices

Vivendi

Vivendi strives to assess its contribution to the development of the territories in which it operates through the indirect jobs it helps to create, through its supply chain, and through its partnerships with civil society.

As regards direct jobs, Vivendi accounted for 15,571 employees (without GVT) of which 5,409 in France and 4,753 in Europe (without France) as of December 31, 2014. During 2014, it is estimated that Canal+ Group and Universal Music Group sustained more than 40,000 indirect jobs. These are upstream jobs within the industry: supply chain (see Section 4.4); downstream commercial services (distributors, resellers, call centers); jobs in real estate services; jobs in related commercial services, excluding temporary jobs (such as legal advisers, insurance, banking and catering).

Vivendi also provides a significant economic contribution through the purchases it makes from local suppliers. More than 80% of the purchases made by Canal+ Group and UMG are made from local suppliers.

Vivendi’s subsidiaries have allocated more than €3,5 million in 2014 to enterprise foundations, solidarity programs and sponsorship actions (without Vivendi SA and GVT). Since 2008, at a corporate level, Vivendi has supported social initiatives for disadvantaged young people through its Create Joy program. With a steady budget since its creation, this program enables young people in diffi cult circumstances to develop by working as part of joint cultural projects associated with the group’s businesses, including fi lm-making, training in digital tools, music appreciation and similar projects. In 2014, Create Joy supported nearly 40 charitable projects in France, Great Britain, the United States, and Africa, benefitting more than 100,000 young people.

Canal+ Group

Canal+ Group also contributes to economic development through the training it gives to local employees (see also Social and Professional Empowerment of Employees). For instance, in 2014, the group pursued its training program for sales teams in Africa. The program was structured around three main lines: internalizing the training of trainers through the appointment of five “ super trainers” entitled to operate on the African continent to meet the significant training needs of the sales force; offering training sessions to twenty new business managers (in addition to a hundred managers who are already trainers); enhancing the skills of sector managers through the organization of workshops on business fundamentals, the store visit methodology and time management in all the group’s local subsidiaries. Besides, Canal+ Group in Africa has also launched a technical installer training and certifi cation program: in 2014, 500 people benefi ted from this program developed by Canal+ Africa , which currently has a network of about 1,500 certifi ed technicians and aims to reach 2,000 by the end of 2015. (picture above : sales team in Africa awarded a certification following to the training session).

Canal+ Group, which has maintained a unique connection with the cinema industry since its creation, supports the French organization Les Toiles enchantées (which travels around France offering fi lms showing on the big screen free of charge to children and young people in hospital or handicapped) and Ensemble contre la récidive (with the production and airing of a documentary on soccer in prison, showcasing the work by this association). In Africa, among other projects, the Senegalese subsidiary actively participates in promoting and training young filmmakers during the Moussa Invites festival run by filmmaker Moussa Touré. In addition, the Kindia 2015 editorial project, which was set up in 2012 by the Canal+ Documentary department, continued in 2014.

Universal Music Group

On the African continent, UMG, present in the territory through its SouthAfrican subsidiary, plays an important role in the development of the local musical ecosystem with numerous P&D (pressing and distribution) deals or joint ventures entered into with small independent labels (there were over 50 agreements of this type in 2014): agreements that enable the labels to benefi t from UMG know-how, infrastructure and distribution networks, and have contributed to the on-going success of many independent labels.

In addition, group employees in numerous countries regularly go to meet audiences − young people in particular − interested in the music business. In the United Kingdom for example, the Utalks educational programme has facilitated numerous discussions between UMG employees and young people from all geographical, social and cultural backgrounds (young musicians at the National Festival of Music For Youth, students from Manchester University, new urban musical talent from Urban Development, participants of the Go Think Big project).

UMG undertakes numerous community support, partnership and philanthropic initiatives. These initiatives are carried out by each company within its country or region. Many of these initiatives are designed to help young people achieve their full potential through music or provide assistance to persons in difficulty. In the United Kingdom, UMG has entered into a partnership agreement with East London Arts & Music (ELAM), a new free school for young people between the ages of 16 and 19, and provides 100% sponsorship to EMI Music Sound Foundation, which supports 36 music and performing arts schools and provides individual bursaries for the purchase of musical instruments and teacher training amounting to £5.4 million from its foundation (£500,000 of which was allocated in 2014). In Brazil, UMG supports the school of symphonic music, song and theater that was founded in keeping with the wishes of Zeca Pagodinho, one of the iconic artists in the catalog, to help children and young people from a low-income neighborhood in Rio.